Touring on The Luxurious Blue Train

The Blue Train offers you a window into the stunning authenticity of South Africa. This luxurious private train traverses landscapes that delight in their diversity, from ocean to desert to savannah, crossing colonial relics and mountain passes, with the odd wild mammal roaming around.

A railway journey through South Africa.

South Africa is regularly proclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful countries and we think the Blue Train is an excellent way to see it. The traditional route is as iconic as it was a century ago, a 30-hour journey that covers almost 1000 miles between Cape Town and Pretoria. There are at least four monthly departures in either direction, so the Blue Train is easy to incorporate into any South Africa itinerary. From Table Mountain to the evocative high-altitude plateau or vice versa, you connect the country's epic vistas.

An exciting new branch has recently been added, connecting Pretoria with Hoedspruit in Kruger National Park, where you disembark straight into a unique big-five safari landscape. There are currently only three annual departures but we expect this to increase in the coming years.

Luxury amenities.

It's lavish and luxurious on board, the carefully restored carriages evoking the rail journeys of a distant era. Sip champagne in the wood-panelled club car, laze away an afternoon in the elegant lounge, and admire South Africa as a personal butler brings everything you require. Spacious cabins including a marble and gold-fitted bathroom, along with leisurely chairs for watching the world.

What's included on your trip?

Each route includes an afternoon excursion on land, a chance to stretch the legs and see a piece of the wild interior. Dinners are formal affairs, served in the opulent restaurant car with an extravagant selection of wine. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, canapés, cocktails...it's pure indulgence the whole way.

Train travel is slow travel and we can't get enough of how expressive the landscapes of South Africa can be. While this journey is top of the list for many luxury train enthusiasts, we think it's a great way for anyone to experience the raw beauty of the country's hinterlands. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Our favourite places for Blue Train

Country
South Africa

Often described as a world in one country, South Africa’s diverse landscapes of desert, forest, beach and savannah offer the ideal sceneries for a first-time safari.